


In the Cold, Far North

by Cornerofmadness



Series: Fates [2]
Category: Angel The Series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-31
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-08-11 05:40:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16469810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cornerofmadness/pseuds/Cornerofmadness
Summary: Connor and Gwen agree to help the Watchers reclaim some of their stolen magical items but it doesn’t go as planned.





	1. The Vacation

**Author's Note:**

> **Warning** \-- graphic violence
> 
>  **Author’s Note** \-- This was written for the spook_me challenge, 2018 for This wonderful rendition of a wendigo by Jason Felix https://images15.fotki.com/v1669/photos/6/3814576/14859667/ndigo_03_by_jason_felixd78u7ft-vi.jpg . It’s set in my series that started back in 2004 before we knew how Angel would end. All you need to know is Connor was never brought back into Angel’s world at the end until many years later after he’s married to Gwen and they’re both thieves. However, if you want to read the first story _Fata Viam Invenient_ you can find here on AO3

Chapter One 

Connor panted hard around the latex in his mouth as Gwen pressed down against his chest, breathing hard herself. Her body was so hot, so spent, resting against his overheated flesh, sparks of harmless energy – thank you L.I.S.A – dancing between them. Under him was a thick towel and under that reindeer hides over their bed in the cold room at the ice hotel. He gathered his senses, still inside her, in no hurry to move. It wouldn’t last since everything but the wooden frame their mattress was on the entire suite was made of ice. The cold would seep in all too fast.

Gwen kissed his forehead then undid the ball gag in his mouth. She pressed her lips to his after removing it. “I knew that could keep you quiet.” She nodded toward the curtain that served as their door. When Connor had booked vacation time in Jukkasjärvi’s ice hotel, he hadn’t expected that there wouldn’t be actual doors but it made sense. All the cold rooms would melt come spring.

He chuckled as she swung off of him. “You weren’t wrong.”

Gwen traced the glyphs tattooed on his chest. “Shower time.”

They dressed in older clothes and trucked to the ‘warm’ side of the hotel where the toilets and showers were. They cleaned up, put on the thermal underwear they’d need to sleep in before heading back to their suite. If Connor needed proof his wife loved him, this was it. Gwen was all about the warm weather. This was his idea, and he was loving it. Even Gwen admitted Sweden was gorgeous in spite of it being the dead of winter. She was taken with their room, having shot an incredible number of photos inside their suite.

Each suite had an artistic theme, carved by a professional artist. Theirs had an almost art deco theme, columns carved in flowing geometric patterns. Connor was entranced by the two hide covered chairs made of thick ice. Once back in the room, Gwen insisted on pictures in those chairs. Somehow, she made thermals sexy. He, on the other hand, probably looked like a scarecrow, but that didn’t stop her from sitting on his lap and taking a selfie. She managed to get a great shot of them with the ornate columns and the Lord of the Ring elvish headboard of the bed behind them.

“Send that one to Angel.” She tapped his nose, unspooling from his lap so she could toss the thermal sleeping bags onto the mattress. 

“Sure, but I’m not entirely sure he knows how to download photos. Besides, I think he thought this vacation was weird.”

“No, sweetie, he thinks _you’re_ weird. I do too, but I love you anyhow. Besides,” Gwen crawled into the sleeping bag. “This was not your worst idea. It’s way more fun than I thought it would be.”

“Well good. But weird? Really?”

“Very weird.” She laughed as he climbed in with her. Gwen curled up with him, resting her head on his chest. “But I’m glad you talked me into this.”

“Me too.” Connor knew the last several weeks were very stressful on everyone and it was all his fault. He couldn’t have imagined the chain of events he’d kick off when he decided to rob Wolfram and Hart. Learning about the spell that had rewritten his history, the spell breaking and him remembering hell had wrecked him. Needless to say, Angel wasn’t exactly thrilled to find out his son was a professional thief with Gwen, specializing in magical items. But there wasn’t much he could do about it. Connor at least had the consolation that his love for Gwen had nothing to do with the spell and hadn’t faded once the spell did.

He couldn’t quite wrap his head around the whole spell thing. He almost wished he didn’t remember the Reillys as his parents because then he wouldn’t feel the loss of his entire family any more. Nope, all that pain of being the only survivor of the car accident was still all bundled up under his breast bone. 

“You’re thinking hard,” Gwen murmured sleepily.

“Just trying to relax and get some sleep.” He squirmed down deeper into the bag.

“I’ll have to try harder next time to wear you out.” She ran her hand down his arm. “When we’re not freezing.”

“You’ll get no argument from me.” Connor shut his eyes, putting the horrors of the past weeks out of mind. He was here to have fun and damned if this hotel wasn’t that. He’d worry about Angel and what the loss of the spell meant when he got home. For now, he’d get some well-earned sleep.

X X X

Connor sipped the hot lingonberry juice complimentary from the hotel, reluctant to leave his wonderful ice sculpted room. Gwen was already packed up but enjoying her morning beverage as well. He checked his email surprised to see one from a new friend.

“Got an email from Buffy.”

Gwen rolled her eyes. “Probably reminding you it would be nice to get your dad a souvenir.”

“Already done.” And it hadn’t been easy. Food gifts were out, and all the thick wooly clothing would be wasted on Angel who probably didn’t get cold. He’d been tempted to get the ugliest colorful sweater possible knowing Angel might just wear it to appease him so Connor took Mae West’s advice: _I generally avoid temptation unless I can’t resist it._ He opened the email, read and then grunted. “How do you feel about Wisconsin?”

“Like I’ve had enough of cold with this.” She waved her arms around. “But beer and cheese are okay. Why?”

“Buffy wants our help stealing a couple of items from a mage.”

“Because that’ll end well.” Gwen griped as if this wasn’t their normal line of work. “Why can’t she do it herself?”

“She says they’ll help,” Connor replied, and she snorted. “I know, they’ll probably do more harm than good. Well, Faith’s there. That’ll help.”

Gwen nudged him with her toes. “You just want to eye bang her. You’d probably do more if I said yes.”

He shot her a hurt look. “I love _you_ you know. Anyhow these things belonged to the Watchers before everything literally blew up.”

Gwen finger combed her long hair. “Does this even pay?”

“Certainly not our going rate or pretty much at all. She said we could help ourselves to some of the other items.”

Gwen sighed, flopping back on the ice chair. “You’re going to insist on this.”

“Well, I chose the last mission. It’s technically your turn.”

“But you’ll want to do this to make daddy proud.”

Connor shrugged. “He’s not been nearly as vocal as I feared about my job.”

“He does seem more worried that you’re kinky. He knows he’s the one who _gave_ you away, that what you did after that was a result of his meddling.”

“It helps that we’re wealthier than Croesus. I would like to help them, though. Besides, Buffy also says there’s something seriously wrong in upper Wisconsin. People are going missing or turning up gnawed on.”

“That’s not exactly making me want to say yes.” Gwen stared into his eyes then flung up her hands, making an exasperated noise. “Fine! However, it you want to make Daddy happy take on Wolfram and Hart jobs. They have deep pockets.”

“Noted.”

“And I’d like to point out you’re not a Slayer. Saving those people isn’t your job.”

No, he was the Destroyer and he remembered when taking out demons was his only concern. “Finish your juice, baby. I’ll change our plane tickets.” He smiled as she glared at him for ignoring that comment. “And thanks.”


	2. The Detour

Chapter two

“It’s as cold as Sweden here!” Gwen grumbled, looking at the snow outside the window of Rhinelander’s tiny airport.

“Pretty much. I googled it on the way here. Eagle River is the snowmobile capitol of the world and lumberjacks from Scandinavia come here to compete.”

“I should have let you solo this mission.” Gwen dragged him in for a kiss.

“Glad you didn’t.” Connor meant that. He felt uneasy meeting with two Slayers and a witch. He didn’t like magic – well now that he remembered that standing here ironically covered in magical tattoos – and being the tiniest bit demonic made him wonder if one day the Slayers would think he’s a risk. Also, it baffled him that Buffy had been – and maybe still sort of was – in love with Angel. Spike too. Maybe she was soft on vampires for some reason he couldn’t fathom. “Do you see them?”

“Not yet.” Gwen hip bumped him. “You’ll be going around Wisconsin with a lovely harem.”

“Of some of the most lovely, dangerous women alive.” Connor sighed happily. They might make him uneasy but he was still a man after all.

“Try not to cream your jeans, lover boy.”

“Gwen!” He pouted at her, and she slapped his ass. Well, if she didn’t want him aroused maybe she shouldn’t do _that_.

“There they are. You go get the luggage,” Gwen said, sauntering toward Buffy and was that her sister, Dawn? He hadn’t met her yet, and since he knew the others, that’s who he assumed she was.

Luckily, the carousel spit their heavy luggage out quickly, seeing as they’d been on a tiny puddle jumper out of Milwaukee after returning to the States, it wasn’t surprising. He lugged it over to the women who seemed in no hurry to help as he thought some very un-feminist thoughts about it.

“Hello ladies.”

“You’re right, Buffy, he looks like his mom,” Dawn said.

Connor blinked. “And you’d know how?”

“Your mom tried to kill ours,” Buffy replied.

“Special. I’d say sorry but instead I’m just shrugging and going with ‘vampire’.”

Buffy snorted. “Let’s get you two to the car. We’re staying at a lodge with lots of little cabins. We have one reserved for you in the far back where it’s more…isolated.”

Connor rolled his eyes. “What? does Dad tell everyone I’m a kinky bastard?”

“He tells Buffy pretty much everything.”

“Perfect, though he never did get around to telling you I existed.”

“For a while, you didn’t as far as any of his friends were concerned,” Buffy replied but she looked pained at the reminder.

“Fair point.” Connor glanced at his wife then down at the luggage.

Gwen smiled and draped her carry on over his neck leaving him to it. Oh, someone other than him was getting tied to the bedpost tonight. Connor dragged it all to Buffy’s SUV and got to be appalled by her lack of driving skills for the next twenty-five miles into Eagle River. Thank god Wisconsin knew how to handle snow removal or his healing abilities might have been put to the test. He should have acted like an obnoxious man and insisted on driving.

For the most of the drive, the conversation was about his and Gwen’s trip. Buffy wanted to leave the work-related stuff for when they were all together. Willow apparently had a slide show of the items in question. Gwen showed Dawn many of the pictures of the trip on her cell phone.

The cabin campground was nice, nestled into a lake with one large communal lodge house and many small cabins tucked into the trees. They dropped them off first at his and Gwen’s place which really was into the bushes. After he stowed the luggage, Buffy took him to the larger cabin all four women were sharing.

Willow and Faith were waiting with hot chocolate, which he suspected was all on Willow. Faith looked bored casting glances out the window to the wintry scene beyond. She was a Bostonian; Irish like him Maybe she wanted to go play in the snow.

“Have fun boinking in the ice?” Faith cocked an eyebrow at them.

“Faith!” Buffy snapped at the same time Gwen replied, “Very much so. More than I thought when I agreed to Connor’s insanity.”

“Probably not the first time you’ve said those words.” Faith smirked.

“Faith, don’t encourage the overshare,” Buffy griped.

Faith laughed. “So long as it’s not show and tell, you’re good.”

“Not a porn star,” Connor grumbled.

Faith raked her eyes over him. “Bet Daddy’s proud.”

He shot Faith the bird, grinning. “So, tell us what we can do for you.”

“Have a cookie,” Willow said, jamming the tray of them at him. “Do you want to just jump into this or do you want to relax first?”

“Probably should say relax because I suspect we won’t after this,” Gwen said, snagging cookies. “But time is money, or are we getting none of that?”

“Not so much. Let me open the show.” Willow put the cookie tray on the coffee table before grabbing her laptop. She sat on the couch and patted the cushions on either reside of her. 

Connor and Gwen flanked her while Dawn and Buffy sat in the chairs. Faith remained at the window. Maybe she was on the lookout after all. Buffy had mentioned people being eaten. He bit into a cookie. “Mm, snickerdoodle, my favorite.”

“Mine too,” Dawn chimed in, brightly.

Willow brought up the PowerPoint. “So, you two are no doubt aware of the bombing of the main Watcher complex several years back, and how a lot of artifacts were either lost or pilfered from other Watcher complexes in the resulting chaos.”

“ You might even have stolen some yourselves.” Buffy eyed them sourly. Connor replied with a one shouldered shrug. He knew he was guilty of that.

“We’ve been told there’s a mage here who has several Watcher items, and we want them back,” Willow said.

“Here?” Gwen asked, skeptically. “All I saw were pine trees, deer and rednecks. Why would anyone be here if they had that much power?”

“Most super villains have an isolated base,” Connor said.

“Still such a geek.” Gwen stretched a hand behind Willow to slap him lightly, giving him a tiny shock.

“Always, babe.” He smoothed out his hair, now standing on end. “And I don’t know. I think it’s rather pretty here. I can see the appeal.”

“No, you can’t.” Gwen narrowed her eyes.

“Summer home?” he wheedled.

She thinned her lips. “No.”

“Winter fun palace?” He turned on the puppy dog eyes.

“You’re gonna be living alone.”

He sighed, knowing he’d have to work on her in private. “So, I’m assuming you asked if the items were for sale.”

“A junior watcher made contact, and she was never heard of again,” Willow replied.

Connor scowled. “Got to hate the sounds of that.”

“So, B and I came here looking for this mage. We’ve seen him, and he seems perfectly normal. Tried to follow him back to his place but you can’t get close. It’s got alarms.”

“What sort?” Gwen asked.

“Physical, and when Faith and I jumped the fence without touching it, we got eyes on us, magically,” Buffy scowled. “The wards ended up confusing us and lightning nearly fried us.”

“Great. I’m going to get slammed by that,” Gwen sighed.

“At least you won’t die from it, unlike us,” Faith countered.

“And we should be able to avoid the alarms easily enough,” Connor said. “What do you want back?”

“This is one of the items.” Willow tapped the screen. “It’s the Grimoire of Annevelink. It’s dark magic and should not be out where anyone can read it.”

“Sounds like I should just burn that,” Connor said in dead seriousness. After the spell had broken, he was a lot less cool with dark magic. _What a hypocrite_. A bunch of eyes gazed at him, unimpressed with his shit.

“There are some spells in it that could stop some bad stuff,” Willow replied hurriedly.

“Like forming new hellmouths,” Faith said. “How to do it and how to stop it are both in there.”

“Fine, no book burning.” He sighed, wondering if he’d regret it. “Is this all?”

“No, there’s the amulet of Gwenffrewi,” Willow said, stumbling a bit on the Welsh.

“Mage?” Connor asked.

She shook her head. “Welsh saint known for healing. Saint Winifred in English.”

Connor grunted. Just what he needed another woman named Fred or one named Gwen for that matter.

“Gwenffrewi’s amulet can heal people, especially grievously injured ones. You can imagine why the Watchers would want that.”

“What chances are that this mage has this thing dangling around his neck if it comes to a fight between us?” Gwen asked.

“Probably one hundred percent.” Buffy shrugged.

“Great.”

“The third item we’d like you to fetch,” Willow pressed on, “Is the Orb of Thessulah. We can never have too many of those squirreled away.”

“I know that one. Isn’t that the thing you used to shove Angel’s soul back in him after the dumbass loses it?” Connor asked.

“It’s not like Angel plans to do that, you know,” Buffy said with surprising heat in her voice. She leaned toward him, hands clenched.

“He did last time.”

“I can’t....”

“He did,” Faith said and Buffy turned to her, shocked. “Willow and I probably forgot to mention that part.” She rolled her eyes then jerked a thumb out Connor. “Had to kick this one’s ass to keep him from killing Angel.”

“He asked me to!” Connor slapped a hand on the couch, an ineffectual sound effect for an equally ineffectual gesture.

“Like hell.” Faith scowled. “Way I heard it you had a hard on for killing Daddy.”

“I would _not_ have phrased it that way.” Was his face hot? _Oh god, am I actually embarrassed?_ Connor glanced away.

“Still though.”

“I believe you, Connor,” Willow smiled. What a lovely smile she had. “The Angel I know wouldn’t risk Angelus getting loose, and he couldn’t know if Buffy, Faith or I could get there to stop him. That had to be hard.”

“Shitty is the word you’re looking for,” Faith grumbled. “That’s a shitty thing to put on your kid.”

Connor shrugged. “It’s like Willow said. He didn’t want Angelus loose and knew I could take him. The shitty thing was _not_ telling the team he’d asked me to do that, so they’d know and not fucking hate me more than they already did.” He clamped his jaw shut, shocked at how much this still hurt.

“Connor, I’m sure they….” Dawn started, and he flung up a hand.

“Hated or mistrusted if that makes you happier.” His chest heaved. “If that team would have just learned to communicate so much pain could have been avoided.”

Everything about Jasmine for instance, the lost little boy inside his head whimpered. He shut his eyes repeated one of the mantras he meditated upon to calm himself and then said, “And you didn’t exactly kick my ass Faith.”

She laughed. “Did that spell alter that particular memory permanently?”

He smiled, knowing it couldn’t possibly reflect in his eyes. “What I’m saying is, I didn’t fight as hard as I could because...” The words died, forcing him to swallow past a lump in his throat. Gwen reached over Willow to take his hand. “I didn’t want to kill my dad anymore. Not really.” He cast his gaze to the thick rug at his feet. “But I couldn’t let Angelus go either. Also, Cordelia had convinced me that Willow was evil and trying to murder our baby with that spell, so I wasn’t exactly thinking straight.”

“Me?” Willow turned huge eyes on him. “I’m not evil…anymore.”

“I…what? Never mind.” Connor shook his head. “So, Willow I’m very happy to get the orb for you. I’d do that for free.”

“Good to know if I come across another one I can’t buy.”

“Fine. And Faith, whenever you’re ready, you and I can spar,” Connor offered, letting his head flop back against the couch pillow, emotionally drained.

“Sure, if you’re _up_ to it.” She looked pointedly at his crotch.

“Oh, he so will be.” Gwen squeezed his hand before letting go. ‘He likes it when his women beat him up, _really_ likes it.”

Connor chuckled. “You let two women dominate you, and you’re marked for life.”

“Angel’s right. You are…pervy,” Buffy said.

“Oh, as if Angel isn’t? Like that cage in the basement was just in case Angelus got lose.” Connor snorted.

“Not with me he wasn’t!” Buffy’s face flamed.

“Because B is so vanilla.” Faith snickered.

Buffy glared. “Okay, he probably was with Darla.”

“Are you talking crap about my mom?” Connor straightened back up.

She shrugged. “What did you say earlier? _Vampire_.”

He grinned. “Touché.” 

“And Gwen, as tempting as it might be to try on someone as strong as me, it’ll just be sparring. I won’t try to poach your husband,” Faith said.

“Oh, I know.” Gwen waved her off. “If nothing else, I do trust Connor. Whatever faults and daddy issues he has, he’s nothing if not loyal.”

“Thanks, love. So, anything more you can tell us about the mage’s defenses?”

“I wish. They are resistant to scrying, and like we said, unfortunately our Watcher, Molly Hillenbrand never came back home. We have to assume he killed her.”

“Sorry to hear that. Have you sent a drone over the property?” Connor asked.

Willow’s eyes lit up. “I would love to, but we don’t have one.”

“I’ll see if there’s a place around here we can buy one. If not, can things be shipped to this place do you know? We can get one off Amazon,” Gwen said, pointing to Willow’s computer. Together they started looking for local shops that might carry one.

“Either way, we should be able to get in but I’d want to know as much as I can about the layout. I’ll go to the hall of records and see if I can find the blue prints, after hours,” Connor said. “And not tonight because that flight has sucked the life out of me.”

“Seriously,” Gwen said. “Even flying first class, blasting through the air in a metal tube isn’t all that fun. Especially when you’re stuck next to a guy who doesn’t know how to relax.” She lightly swatted his arm.

“I don’t do well with inactivity.” Connor shrugged.

“Next time, I’ll ask to sit next to a baby. It would fuss less.”

He cocked an eyebrow at his wife. “Lovely. Anyhow, once we have a better idea of what we’re up against, we can get in there and get your stuff.”

“Now as for payment.” Gwen looked pointedly at Buffy.

“We don’t have much, and he offered to get the orb for free.” She gestured to Connor. Gwen reached over to shock him again.

“Idiot.”

“And there are other objects he has that are of less interest to the Watchers but can still be sold. Take what you want, and that’s not easy for us to say. I think you realize that,” Willow said.

“We get it.” Gwen didn’t roll her eyes but Connor knew it cost her not to.

“You’re Dad’s friends. I can afford to be generous but let’s not let it get out that I’m doing pro bono work.” Connor stifled a yawn. 

Faith snorted. “You made fifty million off the last theft. Like you need more money.”

“We cut you in,” Gwen reminded her.

“For a pittance!”

“For exactly what you asked for,” Connor countered.

“You were hardly honest about the fee,” Buffy said.

“Thief.” He tapped his chest. “Do you think I have a great moral center?”

“Daddy has to be proud,” Faith volleyed back.

“Honestly, I think Father would be very disappointed. I mean _now_ I remember I was raised with a strong moral center straight out of a 1700s church. Angel, on the other hand was much looser with the morals, am I right?”

“Probably, sadly.” Willow shrugged.

“Back on topic, I still don’t get how you’re so sure you can get past the defenses if Willow can’t,” Dawn said. “She and I worked the books pretty hard to find a way in.”

“We have our ways,” Gwen said, giving him a look.

He gave it right back. She arched an eyebrow at him. “But they’re all women...” he protested. Gwen crossed her arms and he sighed. “Fine.” Connor stood and grabbed the hem of his sweater. 

“Um, what are you doing?” Buffy eyed him.

He pulled his sweater off, tossing it on the couch. “Don’t worry, the striptease ends here though there are mirroring tatts on my legs.” He tapped the magical inscription spiraling around his arm.

Willow stood and traced the three glyphs on his torso, the one over either shoulder and the large one in the middle of his chest. Her touch had all the clinical impassivity of a doctor as she examined the inscriptions. “It’s amazing. This is massive magic.” She met his eye. “You _hate_ magic. I remember that much.”

He snorted. “Yeah, so do I _now_. But since I’m not likely to go burning my tattoo off with a laser, and because it _is_ very helpful, I’m stuck.”

“So, it makes you invisible to magic?” Dawn asked, sounding as impressed as Willow.

“And to cameras when I evoke the tattoos.”

“That is very handy. Do I even want to know how costly that was?” Faith asked.

“No.”

“Hmm, not much to you, is there?” Faith came over and poked his chest. “I don’t know how you don’t break in a fight.”

He glared at Faith then pulled his sweater back on. “I’m sturdy enough. Speaking of which, what about the gnawed-up people? Is it connected?”

“Really, you want to get into that?” Gwen eyed him like he’d lost his mind. “You’re not one of _them_ , Connor.”

“Definitely the wrong sex to be a Slayer,” Faith said.

“No, I’m the Destroyer.” He winked at her. “But yeah, if I can help, why not? I’m here.”

“Because I planned to go home, stretch out on the beach, relax, you know how that is, right? Maybe see our babies,” Gwen replied.

“I do miss the dogs but....” Connor shrugged, yawning again.

“Why don’t you get some sleep, get on the right time zone and maybe by then we’ll have more for you.” Buffy said.

“That sounds like a plan,” Gwen said, grabbing Connor’s hand before he could argue.

“Thanks for getting us that cabin,” he said, letting her lead him out the door.

They trekked back through the snowy paths to their cabin. Gwen turned the heat up even more once they were inside. Connor drew the curtains.

“If I had more energy, i would so show you how I feel about getting stuck with all that damn luggage,” he said with a weary grin.

Gwen kissed him. “Show me tomorrow, babe.”

Connor tumbled onto the bed. “I will, that’s a promise.”


	3. The Research

Chapter Three

“Beer named after ghosts? Can’t resist that.” Connor grinned, putting in an order for a Ghost Lights as they sat at a table in the pub’s far corner. His companions order a couple Blueberry Train wheat ales except for Faith who opted for the porter. The Tribute brew pub was nice place to drink, taking him by surprise in a place so rural.

“Do you know anything about the Paulding Ghost Lights?” Willow asked.

“Not really. Does it relate to any of the reasons we’re here?” he asked.

She shook her head. “They’re actually in a nearby area of Michigan, might be paranormal or UFOs or something extraterrestrial.”

“Ah, so when we’re done with the beers we should head back home and talk about the stuff you didn’t want to tell us last night,” Connor said.

“I swear I’m even more tired today,” Gwen added. “Who knew we’d have to drive halfway to Madison to find a drone.”

Buffy chuckled. “It was only Wausau but yeah I swear it feels like we were on the road half the day.”

“We have too much surveillance to do to move forward on our project tonight,” Gwen said. “Maybe we’ll be ready in a day or two.”

Connor took a swig of the beer. He hadn’t taken the time to consider their next move but she was right. They needed to do a lot of recon work before they could make a plan. He wanted to go back to the cabins soon and learn more about the deaths. They hadn’t talked about it in the car and really the brew pub wasn’t the place for it.

“Understood,” Buffy said, then caught Connor’s eye. “Have you given much thought to what comes next for you now that everything has been...restored?”

“Such as?” Gwen asked, a bit defensively, putting her hand over Connor’s.

He shifted his hand so he could squeeze hers. “Did Dad say something about my lifestyle to you?”

Buffy blushed faintly. “He worries but he said he had no right to interfere. I’m not sure that he’s correct.” She scowled, holding up a hand. “Not that he gets to choose what you do but that maybe Angel should at least be able talk to you about how he feels.”

“Why should we change ourselves for anyone?” Gwen asked, her voice tight and strained.

“Because some of what we do has bigger consequences than we like to admit to,” Connor said softly.

Gwen pulled her hand away. She stared at him like he fell from the moon. “What are you trying to say?”

“That maybe we should at least be more careful with our clients, at least for the more magical of things. I’m not worried about the art or anything else but stuff like these ladies want us to help with, in the wrong hands is dangerous. Maybe it’s the whole I really know myself issue but I’m not as comfortable with it as I was.”

She sniffed. “You _never_ were comfortable. That’s why I was surprised you even agreed to the last job. You just don’t like those sorts of things.”

“With good reason.” He sighed. He didn’t want to fight especially in public. “I was thinking that we already have more money than we can spend. We can afford to be more selective.”

“Is that what you really mean or do you just want to play boy slayer for a while?” The heat of her voice scorched him. 

Connor grimaced and slugged back his beer. “Let’s not fight about this here.”

“Sorry I brought it up,” Buffy said honestly sounding it. “I just wanted to let you know your father would really like to talk to you more.”

Connor finished the beer in one long desperate swallow. He’d need another one with this topic. “I know he does. I’m finding it difficult but that’s his and my relationship in a nutshell. Neither of us really talking until it explodes and together we’re difficult, it’s just so fucking hard.”

The anger drained out of Gwen’s face as he rubbed his back. “Sorry. I should be trying to help because I know things aren’t what they were. I’m getting that going to the ice hotel was as much vacation as it was you running away to get your head straight.”

“Not consciously but yeah. Also, I failed.” Connor let his head droop. “At least I managed to get him some souvenirs so that should be nice and safe for conversation starters.”

“Uh-huh,” Gwen grunted. “That sweater.”

Buffy’s eyebrows shot up. “Sweater?”

Connor chuckled. “It’s pretty...busy, that’s a good word for it.”

“So’s ugly.” Gwen wrinkled up her nose.

“That too.”

“I’ve never seen him in another that wasn’t buttoned down.” Faith sounded half cautious and half as if giving warning.

“Me either, that’s why I got it.” Connor grinned. “I want to see if he’ll actually wear it. I mean he has no need to keep warm, and there’s no reason for a sweater this heavy in southern California, but I want to see how far he’ll go to make me happy.”

“You really are Angelus’s kid, aren’t you?” Faith wagged her head.

“Mostly, yes. “He shrugged. “It’s red and black with the snowflake pattern they like over there. He likes red and black.”

“That might be Spike,” Willow said.

“Well maybe, but I’ve seen Angel in it a lot too,” Connor said. “Maybe it’s a vampire thing.”

“Maybe because I think I saw Drusilla in those colors once too,” Buffy mused.

“So, did you buy him anything that wasn’t meant to make him nuts?” Dawn asked.

“I got him a Sami mug. He can’t sip his drink of choice from it but I thought he’d appreciate the culture behind it. When we go back to the cabins, I have little gifts for all of you.”

“A hot Swede?” Faith asked.

He jerked a thumb to Gwen. “She might have smuggled back a few.”

“You didn’t have to get us anything,” Willow said.

“Eh, you’re dad’s friends, and you could have been a ton harder on Gwen and I about that whole Altayr thing so why not? And once we get done enjoying the beers, I’d like to go home and talk about that other issue we put off talking about. You know, the disturbing one.”

Buffy nodded. “We should do that.”

Within the half hour, they were home and he had retrieved the chocolates from his cabin, strawberries and champagne for Buffy, apricots in brandy for Dawn, plums in Madeira for Willow and for Faith, blueberries in vodka. The ladies traded some around so they all had a mix, and Willow produced more hot chocolate and Faith had a bottle of butterscotch schnapps - as unlikely as that seemed - to dump liberally in the chocolate.

It seemed too cozy a scene to ruin but Connor knew he had to do it anyhow. He wanted to know about the deaths and if they somehow related to the mage they were going to spy on. He took a big drink of his liquored up hot chocolate thinking Faith was on to something with this combination. “So, tell us about the deaths.”

“There have been a few, not counting our lost Watcher,” Buffy said. “We have no idea if she’s been killed but we’re assuming it. I wish we knew more about her fate but I’m just as glad that she hasn’t turned up half eaten like the others.”

“The bodies that have been found have been ravaged, lots of bite marks. Some stripped right down to bone,” Willow said. “Others have even had bones cracked open and the marrow sucked out.”

Connor made a face. “That sounds disgusting.”

“It is.” Willow shuddered.

“And you want to play boy slayer,” Gwen hissed.

“It gets worse,” Buffy said. “Willow hacked into the police files and the coroner’s report had mention of human DNA in the wounds, but the DNA appeared mutated.”

Connor scowled. “Werewolf?”

“That thought crossed our minds,” Willow replied, looking so unhappy Connor assumed there was a history he didn’t know. “But there were no signs of paw prints in the snow around any of the corpses.”

“There was, however a stink,” Faith added. “Like death and decay. There was a lot of death, of course, but no decay, too cold, so that’s a mystery or maybe a clue.”

“A couple reports came in of tall gaunt figures, sort of ash grey in color. Some claimed them as vampires, extra-terrestrials or even zombies.” Dawn shuddered. “Zombies, I sure hope not.”

Connor chuckled softly.

“Did your brain freeze over, babe? What’s funny?” Gwen elbowed him.

“Sorry I was just thinking about this argument I had with Angel about there being no difference between a zombie and a vampire as they’re both undead things.”

Buffy narrowed her eyes. “They are very different you know.”

“Yeah but god, I though his head would explode when I kept arguing.” Connor couldn’t help it. He laughed harder at the memory of Angel’s peeved expression.

“You did that on purpose.” Faith winged a couch pillow at him.

He caught it. “I did, just to see how mad i could get him but honestly, at first it was an honest question. Father never mentioned zombies to me.”

“Father,” Dawn’s brow knit. 

“That’s Holtz, right?” Buffy asked. “Do you call him Father in front of Angel?”

He nodded. “For better or worse, Buffy, Holtz was my father for the first eighteen years of my life, if Cordy was right as to my age when I returned to earth. I’m not sure how old I am, never had a birthday party until the big spell.” He shrugged. “I honestly didn’t know what a zombie was and when I couldn’t see the difference between them and vampires, I asked the question. I got the idea the first time but seeing how pissed it made him when I didn’t get it, well that was just amusing to me, especially when Angel started explaining one was stupid and vampires weren’t and I’m like, prove it.”

“You’re awful,” Dawn chuckled.

“Right? What does anyone expect the son of Angelus and Darla to be? A little angel, no pun intended? Although that’s exactly what Dad expects.”

“Angel isn’t Angelus. If you’d met Angelus, you’d know the difference,” Buffy protested, her eyes hot.

“He has met him, nearly killed him. I had to stop him,” Faith said, “Remember?”

“Oh.” Buffy wilted. “Right, but I wasn’t let in on that. Sorry.”

“And if I understand things correctly, he was trying to become Angelus again when I was conceived. He won’t talk to me about that one,” Connor frowned. “I’m not asking for details, god shudders to think, but I want to understand what was motivating him. He knows how to deal with the darkness within. Faith talked to me about hers but everyone acts like I don’t have any inside me. I didn’t remember my vast dark side thanks to the spell but now...”

Gwen put an arm around him. “You never told me that.”

“I think I have a handle on it but some nights are rough,” he admitted. He hadn’t told her because he wanted to protect her as foolish as that might be.

“Then do you think being a thief is wise?” Willow asked. “And I’ve dealt with the darkness myself after getting lost in it once.”

“He has fifty million reasons to stay one,” Faith muttered obviously not over settling for a mere ten grand of his cut on the theft that brought him back into his father’s world.

“Honestly, Gwen and I don’t usually steal magical items, mostly jewelry and art, that sort of thing. We avoid people and entanglements. It’s not really evoking the dark. This job, with the potential for battle, might. The break from fighting did me good.”

“Trust me, if you’ve been fighting as long as I have you do wish for a break,” Buffy said.

Connor shook his head. “You don’t understand, Buffy. When were you called as a Slayer?”

“In high school.”

“Me too,” Faith said.

“I’ve been fighting since I can’t remember. Holtz had me tracking him in Quor-Toth since I was about four or five. Think about that, I’m alone in hell armed with a knife tracking him like a bloodhound. I learned to fight and kill before I learned to read. My life was eighteen years of untold violence with a man who would have been a pulpit pounder in his life here, and then I got dropped into a world where I was stuck with two people who I thought helped Angel murder the only father I ever knew only to get thrown into the streets by Dad, screwed around literally by Cordelia and ultimately ended up murdering my own child. If anyone earned a rest, it’s me. It’s why dad worked the spell, and like I told him, maybe it was for the best, as much as I hate magic, because I do have a nice life now with more money than I can spend and with a beautiful wife who keeps looking at me like I’ve lost my mind because I want to stick my toes back into these murky waters of demons and death.”

For a long moment no one said a word. Faith grabbed his mug, refilled it from the chocolate pot, poured an insane amount of schnapps into it and handed it back. “Here, you deserve a medal for worst life ever. I didn’t think anyone here could steal the crown from me.”

He snorted. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to dump all over you guys. I guess that was building up in me. And hell, you deserve to know the truth about me. God knows what Angel told you because he sort of sucks at telling people the whole truth. He likes to edit things to protect you.” He air quoted the word protect.

Buffy rolled her eyes. “You don’t have to tell me about him. I dated him for a few years. Trust me I know. The idiot walked out of my life to protect me. I get the feeling that’s what Spike did too.”

“You kinda like the undead, don’t you?”

“Don’t go there,” Dawn warned. “She has the worst taste in men.”

He saluted her with his mug. “So back to this. Any other thoughts beyond zombie, aliens and werewolves?”

“There is one, and it would fit with the whole smells awful thing,” Willow said. “Wendigo.”

Connor sat up straighter. “Really?”

“I don’t know what that is.” Gwen glanced between the two of them.

“They’re cannibalistic monsters that started as humans,” he replied, and Willow cocked an eyebrow up at him.

“And you’d know this how?” Faith asked.

“I took a few classes in Native American culture and history in college.” He shrugged.

“He’s right. They’re part of Algonquian myth, sort of a morality play about the evil of greed and murder. But it’s very possible they’re real,” Willow said. “Buffy and Faith have been patrolling the woods but no luck.”

Connor narrowed his eyes. “No offense, but you two strike me as city girls.”

“Guilty as charged. I’m not cut out for this forest bullshit,” Faith replied.

“At least your Bostonian butt is used to the cold. I’m dying out there.” Buffy shivered for emphasis.

“I’ll go with you,” he offered and all of the women eyed him like he’d lost his mind.

“You?” Buffy asked.

“Hell is pretty cold half the time,” he replied. “And oddly foresty. I can join you, and yes, Gwen I’m sure we’ll talk about this later.”

“How can we when you might be bunking in a separate cabin?” she asked sweetly.

Hell, he was so in for it. Connor sighed. “You’ll be sad if I end up inside a wendigo.”

“My point exactly,” she replied.

“I appreciate the offer but we really did just want you to help with the stolen items. We’re not equipped to um...pay you to patrol,” Buffy said.

“You’re not exactly paying me to steal either. Dad would be very disappointed in me if I didn’t help. Strange as it might seem to everyone, I would like him to not think too badly of me. I can help. Gwen, you can help or just concentrate on planning the theft once we get some intel.”

“I’ll do the latter.”

“I might be able to help with the research, too Willow. It’s one of the things Vail programmed into me,” Connor said.

“Read any other languages but English?” Willow’s eyes gleamed.

“Russian, Gaelic and for some idiot reason, Welsh. I blame Dad, though I have no idea why he’d want that. Gaelic makes sense.”

“He can speak it at least, Gaelic. I have no idea about Welsh,” Buffy said.

“No one does, damn language needs to buy a vowel.”

Willow laughed. “I appreciate the help. Dawn and I do most of the book work. We have the blueprints now too, so if Gwen wants to look those over while you’re out on patrol, that works.”

“Might as well, if dumbass wants to risk frostbiting his balls out there being monster bait.” Gwen shrugged.

“I’m some pretty nasty bait,” he retorted.

Gwen tapped her fingers against his forehead. “Keep telling yourself when the ladies have to ride to your rescue.”

Connor glowered. “There was a reason I was known as the bringer of torment and death, the Destroyer, you know.”

“Yeah that actually makes us a little nervous,” Willow said. “Not sure what it means that you were the worst thing in the worst hell dimension.”

“Mostly it means...yeah I have no good way of finishing that other than I’m rough on demons.” The less he thought about what that meant the better.

“In other words, keep on your good side,” Faith said.

“Well, you can ask Dad and Spike what happened to them when they took Gwen away from me.”

“Don’t worry. Spike bitched to everyone who would listen about how you shot him with both a real gun and a holy water filled squirt gun, which is kinda brilliant,” Dawn grinned.

“Stole the idea from _The Lost Boys_ ,” he admitted.

“You were pretty merciless,” Buffy said.

“I can be but I have no reason to be with any of you unless you double cross me and Gwen, which I can’t really imagine you doing, not based on anything Dad’s said and what little I remember of Faith and Willow.”

“You trust me?” Faith’s eyebrows shot up. “Not many people have been willing to go that far.”

“You saved Dad from himself, even if you were a bitch to me. He trusts you and that doesn’t necessarily mean I would do the same but you didn’t lie to me which is more than a lot of his friends can say.” Connor finished the second cup of chocolate. 

“It doesn’t sound like you’re pro Angel and friends,” Faith said.

“They didn’t do well by me or vice versa. They wanted me to be Angel’s son when I was Holtz’s, and Holtz never prepared me for life here. Hell, I never even intended to stay here. But that’s all in the past. Can’t change it. I just hope we do better this time. It’s half the reason I’m here.”

“It’s certainly not for the pay,” Gwen grumbled. 

“Yeah.” Connor looked at her, feeling uneasy. “I think my wife might like to talk to me in private so unless you have something more to add to the job, we should probably head to our cabin for a little while.”

“We know where to find you if we need you,” Willow said. “Might have some research for you.”

Connor nodded, looping an arm around Gwen’s waist. “Later then.” He was surprised they made it out the door but part of him wished he had stayed with the others. For the first time in a very long time, he wasn’t sure what was going on in Gwen’s head and it unnerved him.

XXX

Gwen shut the cabin door behind them, wanting to kick her idiot husband in the nads, but she had plans for them, so a good shock might be in order. She reached out to him and zapped him hard.

Connor yelped wheeling around unsteadily. He didn’t look tremendously surprised at her minor assault. “Why?”

“Oh please, you know why! I should give you another good one for not only going all altruistic with this job, but for turning Boy Slayer on me.” She jammed her fists into her hips. Gwen wanted to be surprised by that turn of events but sadly wasn’t. She’d seen this coming ever since the spell died. “Connor, you don’t have to do any of this. You could die!”

“Maybe I do have to do it,” he whispered, leaning against their couch.

“Why?”

“Because I remember. Because I can help, and people will die if I don’t.”

Gwen scowled. That answer was even worse than she expected. “People are always dying, Connor. We can’t save them all. You haven’t fought the demons in _years._ You’re not a Watcher. You’re not a Slayer. You’re not even a member of Team Angel.”

He thumped his heel against the couch. “I know but we’re here. How do I look them in the eye and say yeah I’ll steal for you but you’re on your own with the monster _eating_ humans?”

Gwen tried to change tactics. “Your father wanted you to quit fighting. That’s why the spell was done like it was. Angel could easily have revamped your brain and kept you with him, fighting at his side.”

Connor’s face went white. Maybe that reminder was a step over the line and she regretted it. “I know! Dammit, Gwen! I _need_ to do this. I wasn’t kidding about the darkness. It’s there.” He slammed a fist against his chest. “The spell hid it but it’s there and just running around stealing shit isn’t going to cut it.”

Gwen’s breath caught. She hadn’t expected that. She tried to hide the trembling. Was she losing him? What if the darkness meant soon Buffy and Faith would be hunting him? “Do you want to hurt people? Would you hurt me?”

A horrified expression flooded his face as he went even more papery. Connor pushed off the couch, embracing her hard. He rested his cheek on her shoulder. “Never Gwen. I’d never hurt you willingly. It’s just maybe it would be good to pound on some evil demons from time to time. I’m not saying going out on patrol every night but if there’s a big bad, maybe I can help. It’ll take the edge off. I know it’s a risk, and I know it earns jack as far as money. But with the spell gone, I have all that time with Holtz back in my head. I’m filled with those teachings, that giant moralistic streak but at least this time I know what it is and how to handle it.”

Gwen wet her lips, not sure that he did. She didn’t want to deal with this. Coming here was a mistake. She wanted to pack him up, take Connor on an extended trip, Hawaii, Tahiti, back to the damnable ice hotel whatever, just to distract him from these dark thoughts. But she couldn’t run from the things inside his head. She was just getting a look of the true reasons Angel had worked that spell on his son. She wondered if this had the power to break their marriage, something she’d never contemplated before. For the first time, Gwen wondered if she could keep Connor from drowning. He’d always been prone to bouts of depression, but now he looked at the edge of something big. The only thing she knew to do was to distract him in the way he usually liked best. If nothing else, the resulting oxytocin release was known to be a natural anti-depressant.

“What sort of handle do you think you have?”

Connor rolled his shoulders. “A good one I hope. I don’t want to talk about this anymore, Gwen. I’m sorry if I’ve upset you. I want you to know I’m not unhappy but...there’s something off. I think I was _made_ for this, and I shouldn’t pretend anymore that I’m not.”

“You weren’t pretending. You didn’t know.” She held up a hand before he could get huffy. “I know what you’re saying. Just don’t cut me out of all these decisions Connor. I need to be a part of it.”

He nodded keeping silent.

“Why don’t you go fetch that sweater you got Angel for later. I know the ladies could use a good laugh,” she said, changing the subject.

He favored her with a grateful look before walking into the bedroom. “You’re right. You know they’re going to insist on photos if he’s actually sucker enough to put this on.”

“Oh, Angel will wear it just to make you smile and you know it. It’s why you bought it. You’re sadistic.” She laughed, patting his backside.

Grinning over his shoulder, Connor sat on the bed, pulling open the dresser drawer so he could find the sweater. While he was distracted, Gwen opened her bag of toys. She came up with the leather cuffs, which were safer to travel with than a pair of handcuffs.

She climbed on the bed behind him and yanked his shirt up, tugging Connor to the mattress. He yelped as she managed to get one of his arms out of the shirt and cuffed to the headboard. She’d been dreaming about this since last night when she saw their bed had an old-fashioned cast-iron headboard.

“Um, babe, what are you doing?” he asked, voice muffled by the sweatshirt still over his head.

She tugged one of his exposed nipples. “What do you think?” Gwen freed him from the shirt and tossed it aside. As she cuffed up his other hand, she watched his pupils dilate and his breathing hitch.

Gwen scooted down, sitting on him. She rocked on his hips a bit. “You look so good like that.” Leaning forward, she trailed her tongue over his tattoos before sitting back. Under her, he hardened but caged by his jeans.

“Glad you think so.”

Gwen played some electricity across his chest. Connor gasped, arching into her. He moved his hips in that way she loved but before she could get his pants off someone pounded on the door. Gwen wilted against him. 

“Are you kidding me?” he growled. 

“We can ignore them.”

He curled his lip. “They know we’re in here. We don’t have a car.”

“Oh, right and they’re probably guessing I’m not a hike in nature kinda of girl.”

“Yeah that’s a pity, really. I love hiking.”

Gwen pinched him for that before swinging off him. She left Connor tied to the bed as she went to answer the door. She stepped outside rather than let Willow and Faith in. Willow held a stack of books.

“What’s up?” Gwen asked.

“I brought over a few books that talk about the wendigo. I thought Connor might want to familiarize himself with them in case we’re right about them being behind the murders,” Willow said brightly. “or if he wants, he can come join me and Dawn for a research party.”

“Connor’s tied up at the moment,” Gwen grinned.

Faith pursed her lips. “You mean that literally, don’t you?”

“Gwen! Don’t tell them stuff like that!” Connor bellowed from the other room. 

“He has ears like a vampire,” she said. “But yes, I mean that literally.” Gwen held out her hands to Willow who put the books in them, blushing.

“Gwen,” Connor whined.

“Well, I was going to ask if you wanted to go back into town and find something fun to do since you’re way more fun than all-business Buffy and Willow here.” Faith hip bumped her companion. “But I’ll let you go climb back on your man. Tying him up is a game, right? Not you being upset about him signing up for the slaying?”

“It’s punishment!” Connor answered. “A really good one. I deserve it.”

Faith laughed. “He might be starting without you.”

Gwen snorted. “He won’t get far with his hands chained to the bed.”

“I still can’t believe Angel’s son is so....” Willow flailed for an adjective. “adventuresome.”

“You are talking about a man with a cage and chains in his basement. I don’t think they’re there just for business,” Faith countered, putting a hand on Willow’s shoulder, turning her back around. She gave Gwen a little wave. “Go break him.”

Gwen beamed. “Will do.”

She looked the door behind her and put the books on the coffee table. Gwen lingered in the bedroom doorway, studying the scene. Damn if Connor didn’t look good chained up and still obviously aroused. “Now where did I leave off?”

 

X X X

Connor wanted out of the woods. City girls didn’t even begin to cover it. Faith and Buffy made so much noise in spite of the thick snow, Connor couldn’t believe his ears. He wanted to start stalking them to prove a point but the last thing he needed was to have a pair of Slayers volleying his butt back and forth like a shuttlecock. He gave up continuing the afternoon delights with Gwen for this? He must be insane.

Even if something was stalking the area, they’d be long gone before his team ever saw them thanks to the noise. They were following a snow mobile trail since two victims had disappeared from the trails. The ladies would had preferred to ride out on the snowmobiles - though he doubted either knew how they worked. He’d rather run ahead and do some proper searching. All this was going to be was a long, pointless walk in the snow.

“Freezing my tits off,” Faith grumbled, tucking her hands under her armpits. “How’d Gwen stand that stupid hotel of yours?”

“Kept her tits warm on me,” he retorted.

“She’d shock my ass if I tried that.”

He snorted. “Absolutely. She can be possessive.”

“That why you ended up handcuffed to the bed earlier? Doesn’t want you hanging with a bunch of women?” Faith reached out to cuff his shoulder.

“No that had to do with me worrying about how dark I used to be and me coming out to the woods with the two nosiest Slayers in the world.”

“Hey!” Buffy protested.

“Seriously, did no one teach you to move quietly?”

“They tried.”

“They failed. The fact neither of you’ve been eaten yet proves how good you are in a fight because everything could hear you coming.”

“Cruel,” Buffy said.

“Truthful and yeah I don’t have that thing in my head that controls what comes out of my mouth.”

“You and Cordy,” Buffy snorted. She stopped dead, her left leg sliding out on the crusty snow a bit. “I’m sorry, Connor. Apparently, mine’s broken to.”

Connor let the tsunami of sorrow beat against him. To his surprise, he weathered it like a rock. “It’s all right. I can hear her name without falling to pieces. You knew her well, didn’t you?”

“She made my life hell the first year in Sunnydale but she became a friends and ally but damn if she didn’t speak her mind without thinking.”

“She was a bitch,” Faith said, shrugging. “But Angel thought she was okay so that’s good enough for me. But you didn’t deserve what she did to you, Connor.”

“It wasn’t all her fault,” Connor hated that his eyes were filling with tears. He hoped they weren’t reflected in his tone. “She was controlled and paid too high a price.” In the following silence, Connor held up a hand as he caught something in the breeze. “Smell that?”

“No.” Buffy said and Faith shook her head.

“Follow me then.” Connor stared out ranging out faster than them, moving past the beams of their flashlights. His eyes worked fine with moon and star light. He paused, sniffing the air.

“Are you kidding us right now? You can track like a bloodhound?” Faith asked incredulous. “I mean you told us that but…”

“I’m like _them_ ,” he spat. “I can do what vampires do without their disadvantages. Smell it yet?

“No,” Buffy said then when the winds shifted added, “Yeah, oh yuck. That’s a stink.”

“Sure is.”

“Did Angel teach you to do this?” Buffy asked as he picked up the pace. 

“Hell no, but he was impressed. Father taught me, remember me saying? He made it a game of hide and seek.”

“I cannot imagine the man Angel described to me counting to a hundred and calling out Alley Alley oxen free.” Faith chuckled.

“No, he tied me to a tree and ran away. I had to get loose and find him.”

“That is i>not how that game is played,” Buffy cried.

“How the fuck old did you say you were?” Faith asked.

Connor shrugged. “Five, maybe.”

“He abandoned you tied up like bait and hell, and you probably couldn’t even tie your shoes yet.” Faith roared certainly alerting every demon in the forest.

“We practiced escapes and tying before that,” he assured her.

“Tell me you know that’s not how this game is played now,” Buffy said. “You know, in case you and Gwen have kids.”

He doubted she could see him once in wince in the darkness. Gwen couldn’t have kids with her strange physiology but these two didn’t need to know that. “I know. Shh.” He picked up on some noise ahead, the whine of an engine and something organic and earthier.

Connor picked up the pace, spotting a faint light. He led them to a clearing where they spotted a snow mobile on its side; the snow around it was dark with blood. The snow mobiler lay next to it in two pieces, the hot fetid smile of rupture bowel filled the air but that wasn’t the terrible smell Connor had tracked. No, he assumed it came from the naked creature in dead man’s grey hues hunched over the person, jamming slippery loops of intestine into its mouth.

“I might be sick,” Buffy hissed, slipping her short sword out of its scabbard. “Is that a wendigo?”

“I don’t know. Willow gave Connor the books on them,” Faith said, drawing twin long knives.

Connor unslung the axe from his back. “How would I know? I was busy being tied to the bed!”

“Don’t tell me more.” Buffy raced toward the wendigo.

Connor let her take the lead, assuming she was used to it. He’d learned the hard way from Faith what happened if he tried to poach a Slayer’s prey. Buffy’s blade nearly broke, judging by the quiver in the metal but it barely bit into the thing’s skin.

It howled, unfurling from the ground. It spat intestines on Buffy who leapt back swearing. Faith went low with her daggers with very little success so Connor aimed for the neck. His arms reverberated from the blow.

“What the hell is this thing made of?” he growled.

“If it’s a wendigo, gluttony and greed,” Buffy said. “Together then?”

“Reading my mind,” Faith replied.

The three of them together didn’t quite work as planned. The wendigo swiped at Faith as they charged it. Connor always enjoyed a challenge but this thing was harder than he expected. He wished Gwen was here because electricity was a good leveler. Most things went down when hit.

The thing’s fist slammed into Connor’s gut knocking him into a tree. The axe nearly tumbled out of his nerveless hands. Gasping, Connor flipped back to his feet and buried the axe in the thing’s skull. It whipped around, pulling the axe from his hands, taking him off his feet in the process. Faith and Buffy pounced, taking its head off entirely. The thing twitched then dissolved into something that looked and smelled like a pile of shit.

“You okay, kid?” Faith asked.

“Yeah. That sucked.”

“Totally, and now we have a death to report.” Buffy gestured to the dead snowmobiler.

“First we have to ditch the weapons and come up with a story why the hell we’re this far into the woods in the middle of the night,” Faith groused.

“We’re sasquatch hunters.” Connor shrugged, and they turned incredulous eyes on him. “What? it’s big. People do it all the time. Bet if we keep walking we’ll literally find a group doing just that.”

“We better get the weapons back to the cabins,” Buffy said pulling out her cell phone. “And hike back to where reception is a thing. And we’d better think of something better than big foot hunters.”

They didn’t. If Connor thought stalking the woods with them had been bad, going back out with the cops, pretending to be panicked Squatchers was worse. Gwen was asleep by the time he got back, probably purposefully so. It took a half hour in the shower before he warmed back up and got the stink off of him. It would be longer before he’d be able to forget this night.


	4. The Heist

Chapter Four

Knowing Buffy and Faith were waiting outside the fence didn’t help much, Connor decided. Willow, while fascinated by his and Gwen’s tatts, had no idea how to recreate such complicated magic. That left him and Gwen on the inside. On one hand, they both preferred it that way. The others weren’t thieves and would only complicate the mission. On the other hand, if this mage killed their Watcher friend having Slayers and a witch by their side would have been helpful. They’d just have to trust in themselves to stay hidden.

The house was quiet but large. The man had no taste, however. Well, Connor supposed ‘country living’ could be considered a decorating choice but it wasn’t one he thought was worth bothering with. He and Gwen preferred modern and clean, and in the rec room he was allowed to be a geek. They had decided if the items were actually anywhere in this place, it would have to be in the den. It seemed to not match the blueprints exactly.

It took their practiced eye less than a minute to find the wall safe and about five times that to get passed all the magical and physical barriers between them and the interior. They didn’t bother to pick and choose. Gwen swept all of the safe’s contents into a back pack and Connor did the same. They didn’t want to risk being found out while they did a quick inventory. Besides, they would only get paid based on what they could sell so it was best to take it all.

They slipped out into the chill night air and that’s when it went sideways. Connor scented them before he heard or saw anything, that same stench from when he and the Slayers faced down the potential Wendigo. Willow was fairly sure it had been, and Connor didn’t know if he could kill one on his own, given his lack of decent weaponry - they couldn’t exactly drag an arsenal with them on a burglary - even with Gwen’s help.

“Run,” he hissed to her.

Gwen knew enough to not question him. She broke out in a flat out run for the fence like a cheetah. Both of them heard something pounding across the yard. but their footfalls were the only sound from them. They remained silent as an owl swooping down on a mouse. Connor dared a peek over his shoulder, swearing violently when he saw four of the damn creatures hot on their trail. Gwen was only human. She couldn’t outrun these things, not as fast as they were moving.

“Can you light them up, sweetheart?” he asked, shucking the backpack off. He formed a half-assed plan in his head as he did so.

Gwen broke stride only for a moment, favoring him with a feral grin. “My pleasure, lover.”

Lightning furled out, taking the damn things down but they started getting up almost as fast. Their muscles shook off electricity better than his, making him jealous. He pressed his backpack into her hand, pulling out the dual knives he’d lifted from Faith. Gwen stared at him, incredulous.

“Run, you have to run. I’ll buy you time.” He waved a hand toward the fence.

Gwen glared. “Connor, don’t you dare.”

“We both will get killed out here if you don’t run. Don’t come back for me if I fall behind, not without Faith and Buffy. Fuck it, bring Willow and Dawn too. Bring all the damn magic and killing power.”

She clawed for his hand and he jerked away. “Connor, you asshole, run.”

“I am but you first!”

Punching him in the mouth, Gwen grabbed the bags and took off. She hadn’t hit him hard, just enough to get his attention but he took his eyes off her and put his gaze where it needed to be: on the damn wendigos. Connor leapt at one of them, burying his blades in its eyes. The soft tissue parted like soft butter but he pushed until bone cracked and brain met blade.

He kicked away as the thing started softening into a crap pile like the other one had done. Three on one now. He liked those odds better. So, the eyes were a good target, just like on most things, and naturally they were hard as hell to hit. Connor took a run at the closest one and got swatted away for his troubles.

 

He bounced back up faster than the reeking monster could move but before he could do more he heard someone chanting. The distraction was all the wendigo needed to knock Connor almost as high as the top of the nearest pine tree. He hit ground hard, barely able to get his feet under him when a glowing net smothered him, hitting him like Gwen on a bad day. Agony fired up his nerves, shutting him down. His last thought was ‘I fucking hate magic.’  
XXX

“That bastard has Connor!” Gwen snarled, pacing around Buffy’s living room. They had tried to get back into the fortress immediately but it had something around it akin to a force bubble. Nothing penetrated it, not any magic Willow knew by heart nor Slayer strength. Echoes of her own captivity after a job gone wrong sounded in her brain. The difference here was she had been captured by Angel who was highly unlikely to murder her. As far as they knew, this mage killed on sight. “He could be...” Gwen couldn’t finish that thought. If she did, it would make Connor’s death real.

“We don’t know that,” Willow said, head bent over a huge book. How did they cart things like that around? Someone needed to scan it into a computer.

“I know but he never made it out. We have all that bastard’s stuff but we lost Connor. That is not an even trade. How are we going to get him out of there? Those things were after him, four on one. Connor’s good but he’s not that good.”

“Yes, he actually is,” Faith said. “He’s a monster in a fight. It’s the magic we have to worry about. Connor has no defense against it unless your tatts can deflect attacks.”

Gwen shook her head. “It just makes us invisible to it. If the mage can see us, we’re toast. And since my husband is missing, I’m betting on toast.”

“We’re not giving up,” Buffy said, but she had yet to offer up how she thought they were going to break through the damn shielding.

“I might have something. Here look at this, Willow.” Dawn shoved another fat book in front of Willow.

They studied whatever it was together. Willow started nodding her head. “This might work. Yes, I think it will.”

“What will?” Gwen demanded to know.

“This spell. It needs two of us to cast it but Dawn and I should be able to do it. It’ll bring down that shield. Dawn, copy it out. The rest of us can gear up because I’m pretty sure that mage is the one controlling the wendigos as much as they possibly can be.’

Gwen grimaced. “Perfect.”

Within a half hour, they were back at the mage’s cabin and Dawn and Willow were chanting their spell. The Slayers were armed in their usual manner. Gwen didn’t bother to tell them she had a gun she’d purchased illegally in Milwaukee before making the trip north. She didn’t particularly like guns but she liked magic wielding enemies less. Her electrical abilities were usually the only defense she needed but she wasn’t one to leave things as ‘good enough’ without trying to tip the odds in her favor.

A loud crack echoed in the woods and red sparkles twinkled through the air before Willow claimed, “It’s down, let’s go.”

They were over the fence easily enough. It took Gwen mere second to spot where Connor had done battle, the snow a mess of grooves and footprints but no blood at all. An oozing pile of stink marred the snow. For a moment, hope surged in her.

“He didn’t bleed out here,” she whispered. 

“Told you he was strong,” Faith said as if she had to remind Gwen of how Connor was. To be fair, Faith knew more about him as a fighter than Gwen. Until recently he fought like a normal human not realizing he was a freaking killing machine.

“But he’s not here,” Gwen spat. “Did they take him?”

“Let’s try the house,” Buffy said, herding Dawn closer to her just in case the enemy was nearby.

Gwen didn’t smell the wendigos, just a faint lingering corpse scent, nothing like it had been when those monsters were on her trail. She led the way to the house. Every room they checked made her heart sink lower. Nothing moved. No one was around. It had the air of a place deserted. 

“He’s not here,” she whispered, sagging onto the man’s couch. Who the hell owned a camouflage patterned couch?

“I hate to say this.” Willow’s face drained of color. “Wendigos are created by greed and breaking taboos, right?”

“Connor did _not_ suddenly become one out of greed,” Gwen snarled.

Willow flinched. “I’m not saying that. But they’re also created by cannibalism. Maybe they need to keep eating humans to stay alive. That would make sense right, given the bodies we’ve discovered? What if Molly and Connor weren’t killed outright but taken.”

“Oh god,” Dawn gagged. “You mean like a snack for later.”

Willow nodded. “Sorry, Gwen.”

“The thought already crossed my mind,” she admitted. “But where are they? The monsters aren’t here. This place doesn’t even stink like them so where were they on this property?”

“Didn’t it have a barn on the premises?” Buffy asked.

“Yeah, it did. It was to the north. I think there was a Quonset hut too, deeper into the woods by several acres,” Gwen said, barreling out the front door.

They trailed after her. She peeked into the detached three car garage but there were no smells and no one inside. Gwen jogged to where she remembered the barn being on the blue prints. They found it easily enough, and the smell was enough to gag a flock of demons. A murder of them? What did one call a group of demons?

 _You’re getting hysterical, Gwen. Pull it together!_ she thought. “They were here but they’re gone.”

“But not without leaving a trail,” Faith called from behind the barn. “Out here. There’s a trail, and it goes into the woods.”

“But of course, it does. That hut was in the middle of the woods.” Gwen sighed. Just what they needed a hike in the forest full of killers. “Connor better damn well appreciate this rescue. He just _had_ to play the hero.”

“I’m guess if he hadn’t, you’d both be in the hands of this mage,” Buffy said.

“Yeah, but it doesn’t make it any easier to take.” Gwen was going to throttle her husband once she got him back. This is what happened when you took on stupid pro bono work. Maybe, just maybe he had point about retiring.

 


	5. The Ritual

Chapter Five

Unconsciousness was preferable to being awake. Every part of him ached like a broken tooth. As reality sank in, Connor realized he was bound by heavy chains, heavier than what they used on Angelus. He could barely move his limbs let alone break his shackles. Consciously move his limbs, he corrected himself. He moved plenty shivering.

_Well fuck, I’m naked_. Normally he didn’t mind four-point restraints with his dick hanging out but usually that meant Gwen was going to do fun things to him. It was nowhere near the same feeling knowing he was at the mercy of the man he’d just robbed and his nightmare wendigos. 

He gathered himself mentally, rattling the chains. Yep, no way he was going to break them, especially not lashed to a St Andrew’s cross like he was. He had no mechanical advantage. Connor concentrated on the room he was in, his vision still a bit blurry. What in the hell had that mage hit him with? God, he hated magic. The room looked to be a Quonset hut, albeit a large one. To his shock along one side was a woman chained up, her features a bit distorted as if caught mid-change. 

“Molly,” he called. “Is that you?”

Her eyes opened, wild as a startled deer. If she could still talk, she didn’t bother with him. She moaned loudly making Connor regret getting her attention.

“Don’t worry,” he said, knowing that was stupid. They had plenty to worry about. “They’ll come for us.”

Only they hadn’t, not for her. They had assumed she’d been killed, if in fact, this was the missing Watcher. Connor knew Gwen would never settle for assumptions, not until she had his body back one way or the other. 

Connor tensed against his shackles again, the wood of the cross groaned. He tried to see where he was bound down to. Definitely the chains went around the wood, but he couldn’t quite see if they were anchored to the walls or floor behind him. If it was just the cross, he might get out of here yet and probably frostbite his wedding tackle running through the snow to safety. If the chains were anchored to the metal floor, he might be hosed. It didn’t help that his head swam from whatever magic he’d been spanked with.

“Can you tell me anything about this place or our captor?” he asked but she gave no signs of comprehension.

“You are a most interesting man.”

The voice startled Connor. He hadn’t picked the newcomer’s scent up over the stench of the wendigos. “And she won’t be talking to you. I’m not sure she can any more.”

The man strolled into view, and he was nothing like Connor expected the mage to be. Wesley, Giles, Lorne, even Willow and the asshats at Wolfram and Hart had given him the idea wizards were debonair, a bit British and classy. This dude would be at home with a wedge of foam cheese on his head, a Milwaukee’s Best in his hand and a Packer’s sweatshirt trying to hide his paunch. He did have a Packers baseball cap on and a hunting knife on his belt. Damn it all to hell, he’d been brought down and kidnapped by Bubba the warlock.

“But you, you killed one of my dangerous pets like it was nothing. What are you? The ladies that have been trying to get into my place I assume are Slayers but you’re different. Half the reason I stripped you down was to see if you were a transgendered Slayer. That would have had market value.” He stepped closer, studying Connor.

Connor glanced down. His cock was a bit smaller than he liked it to be thanks to the freezing temperature in the hut. “Not transgendered. So, who the hell are you?”

“The man you robbed. You can call me Richard.”

“Sure thing, Dick. So, you just kinky?” Connor rattled his chains. “Or am I Wendigo chow?”

Richard smiled. “So, you know what they are. I was hoping I wasn’t working with the run of mill thief who got in a lucky shot.”

“Nothing run of the mill about me”

“Glad to hear it. I’m not pleased that your accomplice got away or that I had to abandon my home for the time being.” Richard slapped Connor’s face lazily, nearly getting bitten for his trouble. “Oh good, you have a taste for human flesh. That’ll speed things along.” He grinned. “And since I didn’t find what you stole, I have to assume there was an accomplice I didn’t see.”

“What do you want? Trade me for the stuff we took?” Connor asked hopefully, even though he knew there was no way that was happening.

Richard snorted. “Hardly. I can live without that stuff. I am tempted to gut you though just to see if I can figure out what makes you tick.”

“Gotta say, I’m not a fan of that plan.”

“I’m sure not but I think I’ll take my repayment in the form of making you a pet. You’d make a splendid one, super powered even. That’s what I was trying with the witch over there.” He nodded to Molly.

Connor gritted his teeth. He remembered Willow saying something about wendigos being created by cannibalism or greed. Since he hadn’t become one stealing like he did, Connor figured the greed idea was just the morality play part of their myth. “I like my plan better.”

“No doubt. My pet,” Richard called, snapping his fingers. “Bring the preparation please.”

One of the wendigos shuffled off to the far corner. It dragged over a crock pot and set it on a nearby table. Connor’s gut clenched. 

_Oh fuck, what is in there?_. He could take three guesses, all of them disgusting. “You’ll find I’m a stubborn bastard, if you think I’ll just eat the human you have cooked up in there,” Connor growled.

Richard looked as happy as a kid at Christmas. “Oh, you have done your research. You’ll eat. They all do in the end. Have a little homeless person stew. It smells bit like pulled pork.”

No, it really didn’t. Connor’s stomach tried to stuff itself out his mouth at the thought. He clenched his jaw, swallowing hard as his mouth flooded with salvia ahead of the wave of nausea. “Go fuck yourself.”

“Now, that’s not nice.”

Richard stepped back so his wendigo pet could get near. Its cold, dead fingers hooked into Connor’s mouth or tried to. He made like a bear trap, locking down as hard as he could. The stench of the creature gagged him. He hoped if he threw up, he could get his mouth opened and closed faster than they could jam human chunks into his maw.

Stirring the pot, Richard came up with a healthy hunk of meat, plopping it into the wendigo’s other hand. The creature struggled with Connor as he twisted and squirmed as much as he could shackled as he was. It plopped the meat back in the pot so it could use its other hand. The wendigo forced a finger into Connor’s mouth and he bit for all he was worth.

The noxious taste of spoiled meat filled his senses, and he spat out the finger as far as he could before clamping back down. Howling, the wendigo jammed its claws into Connor’s gut making him grunt but it didn’t eviscerate him like he knew it wanted to. Its master wouldn’t want that.

“Okay, we’ll do this the hard way.” Richard went to one of the cabinets on the far wall and returned with a kit. He pulled his long hunting knife and lightly scored Connor’s skin, deftly avoiding the tattoos. “I want to know about these tattoos. I can feel the magic in them but the rest of your skin, well that’s optional. If you really piss me off, I’ll just skin you out like a deer and tan the bits with the ink.”

As he pulled out a tissue spreader from the kit, jacking it under Connor’s sliced flesh, loosening it, Connor had no doubts of this man could skin him the way he used to skin demons in Quor-Toth, but at least he had the decency to kill them first. His vision dimmed as he made animal noises of agony behind his clenched teeth. Richard repeated the procedure on Connor’s other arm and sliced straight through one nipple when the arms failed to produce the desired results. 

Consciousness swam in Connor’s mind. He didn’t dare faint. Could he be force fed the stew or at least the liquidy bits of it if he was unconscious? Would that count in the ritual to turn him onto a wendigo? The scent of his own blood sickened him.

Richard huffed, running the blade down Connor’s thigh. He slipped another tissue spreader in, cranking the flesh open wide. “What the hell are you? No one has ever lasted this long?”

“Pissed off half demon boy,” Connor lisped, keeping his teeth clenched.

“Hmm, wonder if you can even be turned? What sort of demon? You might have market value after all.” Richard studied him, checking for signs of horns and scales or something. Connor nailed his hand hard, spitting out the piece of skin he managed to tear away. Maybe he shouldn’t have done that. It might speed things along.

Cursing, Richard pulled a rag out of the kit and wrapped his hand. “Fine, let’s see if you can be turned. I’m not equipped to hold an unknown demon.” 

He grabbed Connor’s dick roughly and slice off the foreskin in one quick, circular motion, nicking the meaty parts. Connor couldn’t hold in the howl, and as soon as his mouth opened the wendigo jammed its foul hand in. Richard used the spoon to force the meat into Connor’s mouth.

He gagged, trying not to taste it but he couldn’t avoid it. He spat it back out almost as quickly as it went in. Richard drew the knife along the length of Connor’s penis and over his scrotum. His vison went black, eyes filling with tears when Richard started back at the tip pushing the blade slowly. This time when the meat was plopped into his mouth, the spoon cracking a tooth. The wendigo forced his mouth and nose shut. He would have to swallow if he wanted to breathe.

That’s when everything went to hell.

 

 


	6. The Rescue

Chapter Six

Gwen let Buffy and Faith take the door. Willow and Dawn brought up the rear though Buffy was not exactly cool about her magic-wielding sister helping out. It was easy to see Buffy saw Dawn as a kid instead of a practiced Watcher. Gwen took the middle for herself, eyeing the building wondering if she could turn it into a conductor. Quonset huts were steel right? Yeah this might work out just fine.

Gwen held out that hope until they burst into the room, and she saw six of the damn wendigos and a man torturing her husband with a knife. She didn’t even see the bound woman until Willow screamed ‘Molly!’ The man next to Connor jammed a large spoon past Connor’s lips forcing God knew what into his mouth before tilting Connor’s head back to make him swallow.

He gestured to the wendigos before kneeling to unlock Connor’s chains. “Get them!” From his kneeling position, he waved his hands and a column of fire roared their way.

Gwen leapt aside, cursing. That was all they needed, for him to be as good with magic as they feared. He had Connor’s chains unlocked quickly but that worked for her. With him grounded to the metal, she would have had to work around Connor, and she wasn’t sure she had that kind of control. The mage dragged Connor toward an ATV parked near the door, and Connor fought like a landed fish but she could see how tired he was. Blood flew everywhere.

“Buffy, Faith, keep away from them,” Gwen said. “Get off the floor if you can.”

Dawn and Willow scrambled up on some of the scant furniture. Buffy and Faith were already in motion so she just hoped they wouldn’t get too much of what she was about to lay down. Gwen concentrated her power and let it go like she was an elemental goddess furious with mankind.

The wendigos went down and so did the mages and Faith. Buffy had been in mid leap, faring better. She brought a sword down on one wendigos neck, separating its head. This time Gwen had juiced the monsters enough that they didn’t get right back up, leaving her a bit woozy. The mage, on the other hand, hadn’t gotten as large a dose of the electricity. Connor had stopped moving and Gwen’s heart pounded. Had it traveled up his shackles? His own heart could be arrested.

The mage shot out a magical net that looked to be as electric as Gwen’s own power given how Faith screamed and jerked when it hit her. Willow whipped a ball of light that connected with his head with the sounds of bone stopping a line drive. He went down hard only to be scooped up by one of the wendigos.

It carried him off screaming as Buffy took out another of them. Gwen pulled her pistol, unloading it on the wendigo but it didn’t stop the creature. Dawn got the magical net off Faith as Willow set another wendigo on fire. Gwen fried two of them with all she had not stopping until they were smoking and dissolving into that shitty liquid gelatin form of theirs.

Faith staggered out after the wendigo who had taken the mage. She came back quickly, weaving on her feet. Her face was pale and a necklace dangled from her fingers. “Got him...but he ate the mage. Rescued this from the pile of wendigo ooze.” She brandished the pendant.

“No loss,” Gwen said, dropping at Connor’s side. When he raised his hands to her, she swore it was the first breath she had taken 

“Get these off.”

She did and he immediately rolled away from her, jamming his fingers down his throat. Connor vomited everywhere, and he kept it up until he was bringing up nothing but mucous and bile.

“Was not expecting that,” Faith said, grimacing.

“The crock pot,” Dawn said as Willow and Buffy freed their Watcher friend. “Faith, you make a human into a wendigo by feeding them human flesh.”

Gwen shuddered and Faith swore loudly realizing what Connor had just thrown up. Gwen ignored the vomit, getting the rest of the chains off her husband. Connor’s flesh hung in shreds around them. She couldn’t even look at the invasive metal tools spreading open the wounds in his arms, legs and chest. What had that bastard done to Connor’s genitals? 

“You sure he’s entirely dead, Faith? I want to kill him some myself,” she said in a dead calm.

“He’s dead, and I’m sorry I didn’t help. Willow, let me and Buffy handle Molly. You and Dawn are better at science and medicine. You need to help Connor. It looks like that bastard was trying to skin him,” Faith called.

“I’m not sure Molly is human anymore,” Willow said, backing away. “You’re right, you should help Buffy with her.” Her pupils dilated when she saw Connor. “Okay that’s…goddess. Dawn, help me find some towels to bind up his injuries.”

“I don’t see how we can take him to a hospital and explain this…torture.” Gwen fought the words past her tight throat. She couldn’t cry now and upset Connor further. He was awake, silent and watching them but she wasn’t sure he was entirely seeing them at this point. 

“We don’t have to. Faith has the Amulet of Gwenffrewi. It needs blessed water to activate it. Did you find any of that on the mage, Faith?”

She shook her head. “His ass end is still out there if someone wants to go dig in his pockets.”

No one rushed to volunteer. Connor rested his head against Gwen’s shoulder. “I can last til we’re home.”

“We can stop at a Catholic Church and get some holy water. That should work,” Willow said. “Faith, go ahead and give Connor the amulet now, let it get to know him, if you can.”

“No problem. Molly doesn’t seem to be mobile at all,” Faith said, looping it over Connor’s head.

She and Buffy helped to find towels, while Gwen held Connor, wishing she could do something more for his pain. Willow and Dawn worked fast, one removing the retractors from Connor’s flesh and the other binding on the towels. Both of them paused, staring at first at Connor’s mutilated genitals then at Gwen. Before she could reach for a towel, Connor grabbed one, jamming it between his legs.

“So, no one has to touch that mess,” he muttered. “I’m freezing. Did you find a blanket?”

“Sorry, no,” Buffy said, “But…well, there’s a change of clothes for him.”

Connor grimaced. “Help me into them and then, Gwen you know what to do.”

She nodded grimly. “Faith, help Dawn find some gasoline or other accelerant while Buffy, Willow and I help Connor into those clothes.”

“Wait? What are you planning?” Buffy asked.

“Connor’s DNA is all over the place, including a pile of vomit that contains human remains. I don’t care if authorities track any stored humans back to that gut pile outside calling himself a mage but Connor isn’t sitting around in some police station explaining what happened here, and if your friend recovers, because she’s looking half transformed into a wendigo, then you don’t want her doing that either,” Gwen said. “We’re burning this place to the ground….well at least immolating the innards being that it’s mostly metal.

“Makes sense,” Faith said, running off to check for accelerants.

In the end, they found enough gasoline and charcoal grill starter to gut the building, starting them over Connor’s blood and vomit and Molly’s holding pen. Connor passed out in the vehicle on the way home after enduring the walk back to the house. Molly followed them meek as a lamb. Gwen didn’t know if there was hope for Molly but at least she knew Connor would recover. That said, she knew he was in for a horrible few days.

 


	7. The Aftermath

Chapter Seven

Connor shifted on the couch in Buffy’s large cabin. He’d insisted in coming in spite of Gwen wanting him to rest because he was so freaking bored lying in bed. He was mostly healed anyhow between his body’s natural ability and Gwenffrewi’s amulet. That said, his cock was still a bruised, swollen mess that pissed fire. Getting eaten by his own creation was too good for that man.

Dawn brought him coffee in a mug wide and deep enough to drown in, and Willow followed it up with a plate of donuts that he quickly snared a Boston crème from. Gwen accused him of just wanting five hot women waiting on him. He pretended otherwise. No one believed him. He argued his dick wasn’t going to be in any sort of shape for naughty nurse fantasies for days. Gwen replied longer if he didn’t behave, evil woman.

“So, what has this experience taught you?” Gwen asked, sitting on the couch and pillowing his feet on her lap. She put a backpack on his knees and set another at her feet.

“Never _ever_ do pro bono work again.”

“Smart man and….” She cocked an eyebrow at him as Faith channel surfed.

“And nothing, no more pro bono work. Faith, go back to BBC America. I saw _Star Trek_ on there,” he said, taking a bite out of his donut.

She rolled her eyes. “It’s like living with Xander.” 

“And nothing about playing boy Slayer?” Gwen asked sweetly but her eyes flashed fire.

“This had nothing to do with that,” Connor gestured to his groin. “It’s all about the pro bono.”

“You did get hurt because of the wendigos and the mage,” Buffy reminded him, settling in a chair with coffee of her own and helping herself to a cruller. 

“Because Gwen and I were in _thief_ mode! If I had been acting as the _Destroyer_ ,” he said, hitting his title for emphasis, “I would have been armed with more than those little knives I stole from Faith.”

“I was wondering where those went. Can’t trust a thief for nothing.” She laughed, sitting on the floor next to him and the donuts. 

“If I had been out on a hunt, I would have been properly armed. I might have been able to get away before Dick zapped my ass with whatever magic he was using. Unarmed, I was a sitting duck,” Connor argued. “So no more pro bono work, ladies. If I’m going to steal something for you, I need recompense for risking my ass.”

“Or cock as the case may be.” Faith snickered, and he swatted her lazily. She stole his donut and finished it off.

“Speaking of which, let’s see what we have in here. We never got to divvying it up since we had to ride to your rescue,” Gwen said, opening the one balancing on his knees. “Here, Willow, that book. And I think we can leave the amulet around Connor’s neck until his penis doesn’t look like an overstuffed summer sausage.”

“Ice would probably help speed things along,” Willow said, taking the book from her.

“As much as it burns right now, I’m probably okay with an ice pack,” Connor said woefully.

“I think the orb of Thessulah is in the other backpack, which means the rest of this is ours. Let’s see if any of this is worth all the pain.”

“Speaking of which, how is Molly?” Connor asked, taking a swig of his coffee. It was delicious.

“We called the Special Ops in,” Buffy said. “Usually they do dangerous stuff for the Watchers. Actually, you might be good at that, Connor, if you decide to retire.”

“And what? Really put on a White Hat?” Gwen asked, handing Connor another small amulet. “I think that’s an Eye of Aradia. Now that will be worth a lot of money.”

“That little thing?” Faith peered at it.

“Oh yes, it’s worth a mint,” Connor said, “And Buffy, what will the special Ops Watchers do to her?”

“Get her help, hopefully,” Buffy replied. “Or care for her if they can’t.”

“And you just can’t sell that Eye,” Willow protested.

“Yes, we can. Our deal was for the amulet, the book and the orb,” Gwen retorted. “You said the rest was for us to sell.”

“But the Eye of Aradia can work terrible magic in the wrong hands. You should give it to the Watchers for safe keeping.”

“We could sell it to you. The average price for one is about two hundred grand,” Gwen replied.

“We don’t have that sort of money.” Willow turned to Connor. “Aradia was big on wiping out poverty and oppression but in the wrong hands, spells said in reverse, it’ll cause those in abundance. You wouldn’t want that, would you?”

He sighed and turned it over to her. Gwen pinched his toe. “Let them have it but the rest is ours. Put it away, Gwen, before Willow sees something else she can’t live without. She’s like Darth Vader when it comes to altering agreements.”

“Hey! Not nice,” she said just as her laptop sang out the Skype sound.

As Willow answered the call, Dawn handed Connor an ice pack wrapped in a towel. “I thought the towel might be more...uh, comfortable.” She shrugged sheepishly. “Is that Angel, Willow?”

“Yes.”

She sat next to Faith on the floor, and Connor noticed they left a space between them presumably so Dad could see his suffering. He put the ice pack between his legs. “Thanks, Dawn. Really? Angel’s learned to Skype?”

“It took me and Willow forever but he’s got it figured out now,” Dawn replied.

“Hello, Willow. Hey, I can actually see you?” Angel seemed surprised by the technology. Connor suspected Wes was somewhere in the background having been the one to actually make the call.

“Great. I was wondering if you could with how bad the internet is here. Don’t be surprised if we freeze up,” She said brightly. She motioned for Connor to scoot down a bit on the couch. He did so, so he could see his father. “Can you see him, Angel?”

“You look horrible, son.”

“Thanks, Dad. I’d hate to think I looked better than I feel.” He touched the amulet resting on his chest. “It’s still a ton better than last night. I guess they called you.”

Angel nodded. “They told me they barely got there in time. What in the world happened?”

“Me, like an idiot, agreed to do pro bono work for the Watchers. Never, ever again, that’s all I have to say about that.”

“I still say you’re conflating a few things here,” Willow argued, tapping his wrist.

“I got knocked out by Bubba the Warlock thanks to that little pro bono raid on his home.”

“Really?” Angel interrupted.

“Okay his name was Dick...well just Dick.”

“Richard Krueger,” Gwen supplied with a shrug. “I broke back into the house since the Watchers wanted to know exactly who he was.”

“Was? Did you _kill_ him, Connor?” Angel sounded horrified.

“The wendigos ate him but I should have killed him. So yeah next time these ladies want some help stealing something from a mage, they’re on their own.” Connor narrowed his eyes at Willow.

“It wasn’t pro bono, no matter what you say. You found that Eye of Aradia, and you said it was worth over two hundred thousand,” Buffy said. 

“And my idiot husband gave it to Willow for free.” Gwen squeezed one of his toes.

“Yeah, I’m paying for that one.” Connor let his head flop back on the pillow.

“Buffy said he tried to skin you.” Angel’s eyes were wide.

Connor showed his father the healing scar on his arm. “And so he did but I wouldn’t give in to him. And that’s when it got worse. So, for this amulet.” He tapped his chest. “Some dumb book of magic, your stupid orb, and that eye of Aradia, I ended up very badly.”

“Ah, you’ll do it again, if we ask,” Faith snorted.

“I got circumcised without anesthesia!”

“What?” Angel roared.

“And when that didn’t do the trick, he flayed my dick,” Connor growled.

“I...damn.” Angel clamped a hand over his mouth. 

Spike pushed into the frame. “Did he say what I think he did?”

“We didn’t tell Angel about the… you know.” Willow circled a hand over the ice pack on his crotch.

“And that wasn’t the worst part of it,” Connor said, unable to keep a hint of whimper out of his tone.

“What could be worse?” Spike put a lit cigarette between his lips.

Angel snatched it from him, took a drag then crushed it out, shoving Spike out of frame. “What could be worse? I’m already cringing in sympathy!”

“The damn foreskin is growing back and everything itches but it hurts too much to touch let alone scratch!” Connor shifted the ice pack. “This ice does nothing. I need oxy.”

“And if we could have figured out how to get you some without taking you to a doctor and explaining what happened, we would have,” Buffy said.

“I was thinking more along the lines of the thief sitting on this couch with me could have robbed a pharmacy or something.” Connor sniffed. 

Gwen arched an eyebrow at him. Yeah, he was going to be paying for his indiscretion for a long time to come.

“That is...what in the world did you _do_ to cause him to do something so extreme?” Angel asked, looking pale even for him.

“I did pro bono work, that’s what.”

Angel narrowed his eyes. “I’m being serious.”

“So am I.” Connor stabbed a finger at the computer screen. “My cock died to get that damn Orb of Thessulah for Willow. I kinda feel like you need to be Angelus for a few hours to get my money’s worth out of it.” 

“I will not be doing that.”

Connor snorted. “And things got worse after the flaying.”

“I can’t imagine how,” Angel replied.

“He was jamming that hunting knife up Connor’s dick hole when we got there,” Faith offered up.

Connor grimaced at the memory. Angel put his head down on the table. “Wow, that is worse,” Spike said off camera.

“I ask again what did you do? Because that is a level of pissed off, even for you,” Angel asked the table, not lifting his head.

 

“Thanks, Dad.” Connor flipped off the screen even if Angel wasn’t looking. “He was trying to turn me into a super-powered wendigo.”

“That’s fascinating.” Wes’s face appeared over Angel’s shoulder as his dad sat up. “But that would mean.”

“He wanted me to eat homeless human hash. I wouldn’t open my mouth so he was carving me up to get me to say aaah,” Connor said. “So now I’m in more pain than anyone should be in, and I can _still_ taste that stew on my tongue. This coffee isn’t helping and Faith stole half my Boston crème.”

“Here.” She picked up a cinnamon twist squashed at one end.

He glowered. “Can we not give me things that looked like mangled phalluses?”

Willow grabbed a round donut. “Here, Bavarian creme.”

“Better.”

“You were forced to eat a human?” Angel’s voice quavered.

Connor couldn’t look at the screen because Angel looked ready to cry and if he cried, Connor would too. “I vomited it all back up.”

“I’m sorry, son.”

“Me too. So next time these ladies want something, they better pay. I’m not getting this banged up for free again.”

“So, what now?” Angel asked.

“You know that big speech of yours about me not being ready to be white hat?”

“That’s not exactly ….” Angel shrugged. “That was a long time ago, Connor.” 

“Yeah and guess what? I’m still not one. I’m content with being Gandalf the Gray.”

“Told you, like a cooler version of Xander.” Faith snorted.

“Anything is cooler than Xander. And I was being serious, Connor.” Angel gave him the look that said he was on his usual thin ice with his father. “What are you going to do now? I mean after you heal.”

“Oh, I’m taking another vacation. Probably Hawaiian or wherever Gwen wants to go, you know, in case she doesn’t divorce me for being an idiot.”

“Contemplating it, and Faith isn’t going to take you if all those boy parts don’t heal themselves right.” Gwen grinned.

Faith shrugged. “He gets half your fortune, right? I can buy things that take batteries for fun times if I get all that dough.”

Connor crossed his arms over his chest. “I feel so loved but yes, I’ll be worth a lot even after Gwen gets half.” He chuckled. 

“And Hawaii sounds beautiful. I’ll start looking for resorts,” Gwen said.

“Are you coming home first?” Angel asked, hopefully and a bit sadly as if he thought Connor might not.

“Yes. We have to see our dogs before the babies forget we exist,” Connor replied.

“Good, that’ll give me and B time to find some big bads in the Islands, _not_ that we want you to play boy Slayer. Couldn’t have another flaying on our conscience. We just want you to fly us there and put us in a decent hotel, and we’ll do all the Slaying.” Faith grinned.

“I am not funding a world tour for Slayers,” he snorted. 

“It’ll be great, you’ll see,” Faith promised.

“You coming too, Dad? A little fun in the sun.”

Angel glared. “Pass. I might be tempted to toss you into an open volcano.”

“Now, there’s the Dad I expect.”

Laughing, Angel shook his head. “You look like you could use some sleep, Connor. I’ll let you go. Thanks to keeping me in the loop, Willow. Try to be nicer to my son. He’s the only one I have.”

“At least he’s a sturdy one,” Willow said brightly.

They said their goodbyes. Dawn went into the bedroom and came back with a thick blanket and a pillow. She handed them to Gwen. “I’ll trade you these for that warmed up ice pack.”

Connor surrendered it. Gwen tucked the pillow under his head and covered him up. Willow excused herself with ‘I’m going to call and check on Molly’s status.’ Buffy followed her. Dawn retreated to her room, and Faith snagged another donut before getting her coat. Connor didn’t ask where she was going. He figured they were all giving him some quiet.

Gwen knelt down beside him on the couch. “Get some rest, babe.”

“Am I forgiven?” He touched her cheek.

“I think you’ve more than paid for your foolishness.” Gwen leaned in, brushing a kiss to his lips.

“I have to know, why tell Willow about that eye?”

She sighed then whispered in his ear. “For one, I hoped you wouldn’t be so dumb as to give it to her but I suspected you might. Besides, Willow’s not an idiot. She would have asked to see some of the stuff. Now she has but there were even rarer items in his stuff. I already have those well-hidden.”

“That’s the smart beautiful woman I married.” Connor interlocked his fingers with her.

“One of us has to be thinking. So, in a way they’re right. It wasn’t exactly pro bono.”

“Tell it to my cock.”

“I’ll kiss it better later.” She glanced down his body. “When it doesn’t look like it went through a meat grinder.”

He groaned. “Thanks, sweetie.”

“We’ll be at least a million dollars richer by the time we sell everything to tide us over the next time you want to play Boy Slayer because I’m sure there’s a next time.” Gwen patted his chest. “Shut your eyes and get some sleep. I have a Hawaiian trip to plan.”

“You taking Faith and Buffy?” He grinned.

“I think not. They’re on their own.” Gwen gave him another kiss before unfurling from the floor.

Connor knew this would be one expensive trip to Hawaii, and in spite of what Gwen said, it just might have Slayers attached. Well, that would be more interesting than snoozing on the beach, bored. He’d just have to try harder not to get maimed next time. As Connor nodded off, he hoped to not dream, no wendigos, no human stew. All he wanted was rest. Maybe for once, he’d get lucky.


End file.
